Chapter XVII.

An objection based on St. Stephen’s vision of
the Lord standing is disposed of, and from the prayers of
the same saint, addressed to the Son of God, the equality of the Son
with the Father is shown.

137. There is just
one place, in which Stephen hath said that he saw the Lord Jesus
standing at the right hand of God.23262326Acts vii. 55. Learn now the import of these
words, that you may not use them to raise a question upon. Why
(you would ask) do we read every where else of the Son as sitting at
the right hand of God, but in one place of His standing? He sits
as Judge of quick and
262dead;
He stands as His people’s Advocate. He stood, then, as a
Priest, whilst He was offering to His Father the sacrifice of a good
martyr; He stood, as the Umpire, to bestow, as it were, upon a good
wrestler the prize of so mighty a contest.

138. Receive thou also the Spirit of God,
that thou mayest discern those things, even as Stephen received the
Spirit; and thou mayest say, as the martyr said: “Behold, I
see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand
of God.”23272327Acts vii. 55. He who
hath the heavens opened to him, seeth Jesus at the right hand of
God: he whose soul’s eye is closed, seeth not Jesus at the
right hand of God. Let us, then, confess Jesus at God’s
right hand, that to us also the heavens may be opened. They who
confess otherwise close the gates of heaven against
themselves.

139. But if any urge in objection that the
Son was standing, let them show upon this passage that the
Father was seated, for though Stephen said that the Son of Man was
standing, still he did not further say here that the Father was
sitting.

140. Howbeit, to make it more abundantly
clear and known that the standing implied no dishonour, but rather
sovereignty, Stephen prayed to the Son, being desirous to commend
himself the more to the Father, saying: “Lord Jesu, receive
my spirit.”23282328Acts vii. 58. Again,
to show that the sovereignty of the Father and of the Son is one and
the same, he prayed again, saying, “Lord, lay not this sin to
their charge.”23292329Acts vii. 51. These
are the words that the Lord, in His own Passion, speaks to the Father,
as the Son of Man—these the words of Stephen’s prayer, in
his own martyrdom to the Son of God. When the same grace is
sought of both the Father and the Son, the same power is affirmed of
each.

141. Otherwise, if our opponents will have
it that Stephen addressed himself to the Father, let them consider
what, on their own showing, they affirm. We indeed are unmoved by
their arguments; howbeit, let them, to whom the letter and sequence is
all important, take notice that the first petition is addressed
to the Son. Now we, even on their understanding of the passage,
prove from it the unity of the Father’s and the Son’s
majesty; for when the Son is addressed in prayer as well as the Father,
the equality which the prayer assigns points to unity in action.
But if they will not allow that the Son was addressed with the title
“Lord,” we see that they do indeed seek to deny that He is
Lord.

142. Seeing, however, that so great a
martyr’s crown has been brought forth, let us abate the eagerness
of disputation, and bring to-day’s discourse to a close.
Let us sing the praises of the holy martyr, as is fitting always after
a mighty conflict—the martyr bleeding indeed from the
enemy’s blows, but rewarded with the crown bestowed by
Christ.